Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On December 23, 2022, AppHarvest Berea Farm, LLC (the “Seller”) and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of AppHarvest, Inc. (the “Company”), entered into a purchase and sale agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Mastronardi Berea LLC, (the “Buyer”), pursuant to which the Seller agreed to sell approximately 40 acres of land located in Berea, Kentucky and the controlled environment agriculture facility, improvements and other assets located thereon (the “Property”) to the Buyer for a purchase price of $127.0 million and upon the consummation of the sale of the Property, Seller agreed to leaseback the Property from Buyer (the “Sale-Leaseback Transaction”), subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Purchase Agreement and Lease (defined below), for net proceeds to the Seller of $57.5 million, of which $22.5 million is to be set aside for construction costs for the Company’s facility located in Richmond, Kentucky, after giving effect to the paydown of an outstanding note owed to Mastronardi Produce-USA, Inc., the payment of $19.1 million in prepaid rent under the Lease, the payment and holding back of amounts owed and estimated to be incurred for completion of the facility located on the Property, and transaction fees, taxes and expenses. The Buyer is a joint venture between Mastronardi Produce Limited (“MPL”), our exclusive marketing and distribution partner for all fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Kentucky and West Virginia pursuant to that certain Purchase and Marketing Agreement between the Company and MPL filed as Exhibit 10.20 to the Company’s Form S-4/A filed on December 4, 2020 as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed as Exhibit 10.31 to the Company’s Form S-4/A filed on December 21, 2020 and COFRA Holding. The purchase price was determined based on an appraisal of the Property. The Sale-Leaseback Transaction is expected to close on December 27, 2022.
Concurrently with the closing of the Sale-Leaseback Transaction, Seller, as tenant, and Buyer, as landlord, will enter into a lease agreement (the “Lease”), pursuant to which Buyer will agree to lease to Seller, and Seller will agree to lease from the Buyer, the Property for an initial term of 10 years, with four renewal options of five years each, subject to the conditions set forth in the Lease. The total annual rent under the Lease shall initially be $9.5 million per year, subject to the prepaid rent paid by Seller at closing of the Sale-Leaseback Transaction, and shall increase annually starting after the second lease year in accordance with the terms of the Lease. Subject to the terms of the Lease, Seller (as tenant under the Lease) shall be entitled to a rent credit equal to 25% of the marketing fees received by MPL prior to the third anniversary of the commencement of the Lease, with respect to products grown or produced at the facilities owned by affiliates of Seller and located in Morehead, Richmond and Somerset, Kentucky, pursuant to that certain Marketing Agreement dated March 28, 2019 by and between AppHarvest Operations, Inc., and MPL (as amended), as reduced by costs incurred by MPL in connection with the sale and distribution of such products. Seller shall be responsible for the payment of all operating expenses, taxes, insurance and maintenance and repair of the Property during the term.
The foregoing description of the material terms of the Purchase Agreement and Lease are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Purchase Agreement and Lease, copies of which will be filed as exhibits to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.